Street-cleaning machine.



R. E. BRADSHAW.

STREET CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.-5. 19x5.

'1 238,385. I Patented Aug 28, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I Ii Swueutoz R. E. BRADSHAW. STREET CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-6.1916v Patented Aug. 28, 1917 R. E BRADSHAW.

STREET CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED on. s. 1916.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917 4 SHEETSSHEEI 3.

IllllllllllllllllllllllllmllllllllHll iililllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlh fad/Shaw- R; E. BRADSHAW.

STREET CLEANING MACHINE.

APPIICATION FILED OCT. 5. 1916.

1 $38,385. Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED T QFFIOE.

RICHARD E. BRADSHAW, OF OKLAHOMA, K LAHOMA, ASSIGNOR TO MUNICIPAL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, oP-oKtAHoMA, OKLAHOMA.

STREET-CLEANING-MACHINE;

Application filed October 5, 1916.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD E. BRAD- simw, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oklahoma,- in the county of 'Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Cleaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to street cleaning machines and more particularly to that type which are designed to be manually moved over the surface to be cleaned and which embody a rotary brush for sweeping the said surface and a receptacle for collecting the sweepings, and it is one aim ofthe present invention to so construct and mount the said receptacle that the same may be readily removed and the accumulated sweepings dumped therefrom.

The invention also aims to provide in a machine of this type, a tray arrangedin rear of the rotary brush and so mounted that the same may be swung-upwardly and rearwardly so as tothrow the accumulated sweepings into the receptacle mentioned above in the event the sweepings arewet.

Another aim of the invention is to so construct the machine that the brush maybe readily thrown in'to'and out of 'ge'arfro'm the rear of the machine. Y

Another aim of the invention is toprovide in a machine of this type a novel form of scraper which is'located in the rear of the rotary brush. Ordinarily, where machines of this type are provided with scrap-f ersgthe scrapers have an unbroken rigid scraping edge extending theentire length of the brush. However, scrapers 'of this type are unsatisfactory for the rea'son'that they are liable to strike obstructions or in equalities in the street surface and become dented or broken as well as bringing the machine to a sudden stop and causing annoyance to the one. propellingthe same. The present invention, therefore, contemplates the provision of a scraper consisting of a number of scraper sections independ ently and relatively movable vertically'so as to permit of the scraping'edge conformingmor'e or less closely to inequalities inthe street surface; Incidentally the invention aimsto so construct the sections of the scraper that when obstructions are met with the sections will ride over the obstruc- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917. Serial Nol 123',9s3.

tions without impeding the progress of the machine over the surface being cleaned.

Another aim of the invention is to so mount the sections of the scraper that the sections'will' be limited in their downward movement and will, therefore, be prevented from droppinginto depressions in the street surface which would render the scraper as objectionable as' one having a rigid scrapmg edge.

Another aim of the invention is to suport, the forward side of the machine by adjustable ca'ster'wheels so as to regulate the pressure of the rotary brush upon the street surfaceand so that as the brush wears down andbecomes smaller in diameter, the caster Wheels may bereadjusted to compensat'e for such wear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine embodying the present invention, the near wheelbeing removed.

Fig. 2 is a vertical front to rear sectional view through thema'chine.

Fig; 3 is a top plan view of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional View on the line of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the caster "wheels' andits s pport.

Fig. 6 is.;a side elevation of one'of the yiel'dably supported caster wheels.

Fig? is a view in side elevation of one of the' scraper sections, the shaft upon which thesaid section is mounted being'shown in section;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the scraper sections.

The machine embodying the presentinvention'include's a'hollow body having a top 1 and'spaced sides2, the said body being open at its front and also at its rear alt-hough'its rear end'is normally closed by the removable receptacle for the 'sweepings, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The said receptacle comprises a back 3 which is rearwardly bulged, a bottom 4, and sides 5. In order that the forward corners of the bottom may be supported, suitable brackets 6 are secured upon'the side walls2 of the machine, the said corners of thebottom of the receptacle resting upon the 'su1')portin'g portions of the brackets and the forward edges of the sides 5 of the said receptacle fitting snugly against the'outer sides of the walls 2 at therear edges thereof, as shown in the said Fig. 2. The body of the machine is provided at its rear side with a keeper 7 and the back of the receptacle is provided with a latch finger 8 having a hooked upper end 9 designed for engagement with the said keeper 7 whereby to support the rear end of the receptacle. The said back of the receptacle is also provided below the latch S with a handle 10 whereby it may be conveniently fitted into place and removed. The body is supported upon a shaft 11 which extends at'its ends through the side walls 2 of the said body and has freely rotatably mounted upon its said ends, supporting wheels which are indicated by the numeral 12. As will be presently explained, the rotary brush of the machine is driven through the medium of sprocket chains which pass over sprocket gears 13, each of which gears has a hub let freely rotatably mounted upon the shaft 11, each of said gears being mounted upon the said shaft between one of the ground wheels 11 and the adjacent side wall 2 of the body of the machine. Each wheel 12 is provided with a hub 15 having sockets 16 formed in its end face and'the hub 1 1 of each gear 13 is provided with a series of openings 17 through which are slidably fitted clutch fingers 18. The fingers extend from the outer end of a collar 19, there being two of said collars and each being located inwardly of a side of the machine body'and being slidable and rotatable upon the shaft 11. The collars are housed within casings 20 which are riveted or otherwise secured to the inner sides of the walls of the said body and each casing has a sleeve extension 21 fitting the shaft 11, a set screw 22 being threaded through each sleeve extension and tightened to secure the casing rigidly to the shaft 11. Shifting levers 23 are pivotally mounted as at 2 1 through the upper sides of the casings 20 and are provided at their lower ends each vith a yoke 25 engaging a circumscribing groove 26 in the respective collar 19. The upper ends of the levers 23 extendthrough slots 25 formed in the top of the body of the machine and pivotally connected at their outer ends to the upper ends of the said levers are links 27 which at their inner ends are pivotally connected as at 28 to a hand lever 29 at the opposite sides of the pivot 30 therefor. The lever 29 is mounted upon the said top of the body and the rear end of the lever works in a suitable guide 31 upon the said top, the lever being provided with a hand grip 32 by which it may be conveniently swung from one side to the other so as to cause the clutch fingers 18 to enter the sockets 16 or to withdraw the said fingers, depending upon the direction in which the arms 23 are rocked through the movement of the said hand lever. It will be understood, of course, that when the fingers 18 are in engagement in the sockets 16 the gears 13 will be clutched for rotation with the ground wheels 12 but that when the levers 23 are so rocked as to withdraw the fingers from engagement with the sockets 16, the wheels 12 will be free to rotate without imparting rotary motion to the said gears 13. In order that the lever 29 may be held in such position that the gears 13 will be out of clutch with the wheels 12, a keeper 33 is secured upon the. top of the body of the machine and designed to be engaged by the said lever when. the lever is swung toward the left from the position which it occupies in Fig. 3 of the drawings. In order to provide means for automatically rocking the arms 23 when the lever 29 is disengaged from the keeper 33, for the purpose of projecting the clutch fingers 18 into the sockets 16, rods 34 are connected at their outer ends pivotally with the said levers 23 and a spring 35 is connected at its ends to the inner ends of the said rods and exert a pull upon both of the rods. The rods 3st and thereof.

In order that the machine may be readily moved over the surface to be cleaned, handle members 36 are secured at their forward ends and rearwardly of their said ends to the sides of the body of the machine and these members are connected at their rear ends by a handle bar 37. i

The rotary brush of the machine is mounted upon a shaft which is journaled at its endsin suitable bearings carried by arms 38 and these arms at their rear ends are provided each with an annular head 39 through which the ends of the shaft 11 extend. the heads being mounted in suitable clips 10 upon the outer faces of the side walls of the body of the machine in such manner that the arms may have up and down swinging movement. From the said heads 39 the arms extend downwardly and thence forwardly and each is provided at its forward end with a guide n in which is adjustably mounted a bearing block 12, each of the said guides having a relatively fixed portion 43 through which is threaded an adjusting screw 14, the said screws at their forward ends having swiveling connection with the respective blocks 42. The rotary brush is indicated in general by the numeral 15 and the tufts of bristles comprising the same are arranged-about a shaft indicated by the numeral %6, this shaft being provided at its ends with trunnions at? upon which are mounted sprocket pinions 18. Sprocket chains i9 are trained about the pinions 4 -S and about the gears 13 and it will be understood that when the gears 13 are clutched with the ground wheels 12 and the machine is propelled forwardly, rotary motion will be imparted to the brush eto. it will alsobe understood that by adjusting the screws a l the bearings 42 maybe moved forwardly or rearwardlywithin the guides $1 to properly tension the chain 19. In order to limit the downward swinging movement of-the arms 38, stems are pivotallyconnected at their lower ends as at 51 with a guide t1 and at their upper ends are threaded as at 52 and slidably fitted through suitable brackets 53 upon the side walls of the body of the machine, wing nuts 5% being applied to the upper ends of the said stems and bearing upon the upper sides of the said brackets it is preferable that the lower portions of the stems be curved forwardly or 'n other words, slightly bowed as at' 55, so that the stems will possess a certain degree of resiliency andyct serve the purpose stated. Each guide 41 is provided at its forward end with a vertically disposed head 56 having at its lower end an apertured lug 57 and at its upper end an apertured lug 58 and fitted through the apertures in the said lugs is the stem 59 of'a caster wheel arm 60, the caster wheel supported by the said arm being indicated by the numeral (31. It is preferable that the aperture in the lug 57 be rectangle lar and that the stem be provided with a rectangular enlargement 62 at its lower end slidably adjustably fitting within the said aperture and preventing rotation of the stem and, therefore, holding the caster wheel arm in position for forward travel of the caster wheels 61. A ring nut 63 is threaded upon the upper portion of each stem 59 and bears at the under side of the lug 58 and a polygonal nut (A is threaded upon the said stem and bears against the upper side of the said lug .58, and it will be noted that by adjusting these nuts the caster arms may be vertically adjusted so that the caster wheels 61 will bear evenly upon the ground surface and so that as the rotary brush wears away, the wear may be compensated for.

In order that the forward end of the body of the machine ma be yieldably supported for travel, brackets are secured upon the opposite side walls of the said body and each includes an attaching plate 65 provided at its upper end with an apertured lug 66 and at its lower end with a guide lug 67 and slidably mounted within the lug (57 is the upper end of a caster wheel arm 68, each of the arms (38 carrying at its lower end a caster wheel 69. A stem 70 extends upwardly from each of the arms (58 and slidably fits through the aperture in the respective lug 66 and fitted upon each of the stems is a spring 71 which bears at its upper end against the under side of the lug 66 and at its lower end against a nut 72 which is adjustably threaded upon the said stem and may be rotated to adjust the tension of the spring. A. nut 73 is also threadedupon the upper end of the said stem and bears upon-the upper side of the lug SG-and serves to limit the downward movement of the stem under the influence of the spring 71. It will now be understood that the forward end of the body of the machine may be tilted downwardly against the tension of the springs 71 so as to vary the,

portion 75 which is designed to rest against.

the rear side of the scraper as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In order that the plate Tet maybe swung upwardly and rearwardly so as to throw the accumulated sweepings therefrom into the receptacle 3, a rod TS-is pivoted at its lower end as at 76 to the forward side of the plate Tet and is carried upwardly and rearwardly and fitted slidably through the upper rear side of the said body and provided with a handle 77 by means of which it may be conveniently manipulated.

The scraper heretofore mentioned comprises a number of sections which are supported upon a rod extending transversely of the bottom of the body of the machine at the forward end thereof and having limited pivotal movement and each of these sections comprises a body member 78 which preferably has ajtlat upperside and is provided with a forwardly presented scraping edge 79 The body member 78 is provided at its opposite lateral edges with runners 80 having curved lower edges 81 and it will be understood that these. runners serve to carry the scraping edges 79 of the sections over inequalities or obstructions in the street surface. At its rear end each of the body members 78 is provided with a sleeve portion 82 having a rectangular bore 83 and the said sleeve portions of all of the sections are fitted on to a rod 81- which is rectangular in cross section and which is mounted at its ends in the side walls of the body of the machine and extends transversely thereof as above pointed out. By reference to Fig. 7 of the drawings'it will be observed that the bore in the sleeve portion 82 of each section is larger than the rod 84 in cross section and consequently while the sections are limited in their downward swinging movement upon the rod, nevertheless, they may have upward swinging movement to a limited degree as the sections meet with inequalities in the street surface.

In order to reinforce the body members '78 and further provide for clearance of their scraping edges 7 9 when obstructions are met with, a rib 85 is formed upon the underside of each body portion and extends substantially at the front to rear median line thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a body, a receptacle carried by the body, a rotary brush mounted in advance of the said receptacle, a receiving tray mounted for swinging movement between the brush and receptacle and arranged to occupy a position to receive the sweepings from the brush and to be swung to position to discharge the collected sweepings into the said receptacle, and an operating rod for the said tray pivotally connected therewith and extending to the rear of the said body.

2. In a machine of the class described, a body, a receptacle carried by the body, a rotary brush mounted in advance of the said receptacle, a receiving tray mounted for swinging movement between the brush and receptacle and arranged to occupy a position to receive the sweepings from the brush and to be swung to position to discharge the collected sweepings into the said receptacle, an operating rod for the said tray pivotally connected therewith and extending to therear of the said body, and a scraper mounted in advance of the said re ceiving tray and extending partly beneath the said brush, the said tray being arranged in its first mentioned position to rest at its forward edge upon the rear side of the said scraper.

3. In a machine of the class described, a body having an open rear end, a rotary brush mounted at the front of the said body, supporting brackets at the lower rear corners of the side walls of the said body, a

. sweepings receptacle having sides, a bottom,

and a back, the said receptacle being removably assembled with the rear end. of the body and disposed with its bottom resting upon the said brackets, a keeper upon the body at the rear end thereof, and a latch carried by the back of the said receptacle and having a hooked portion for engagement with the keeper.

l. Ina machine of the class described, a body having an open rear end, a rotary brush mounted at the front of the said body, supporting brackets at the lower rear corners of the side walls of the said body, a sweepings receptacle having sides, a bottom, and a back, the said receptacle being removably assembled with the rear end of the body and disposed with-its bottom resting upon the said brackets, a keeper upon the body at the rear end thereof, a latch carried by the back of the said receptacle and having a hooked portion for engagement with the keeper, and a receiving tray pivotally mounted within the body to occupy a position at the forward side of the bottom of the said receptacle and to receive sweepings from the said brush.

5. In a machine of the class described, a body, a wheel supported shaft supporting the said body for tilting movement, yieldable caster wheels supporting the forward side of the body and yieldably resisting downward tilting thereof, members connected with the body for swingig movement with relation thereto, a rotary brush journaled between the said members, and means for limiting the downward movement of the said members.

6. In a machine of the class described, a body, a wheel supported shaft supporting the said body for tilting movement, yieldable caster wheels supporting the forward side of the body and yieldably resisting downward tilting thereof, members connected with the body for swinging movement with relation thereto, a rotary brush journaled between the said members, caster wheels supporting the forward ends of the said members, and adjustable means for limiting the downward swinging movement of the said members with relation to the body.

7. In a machine of the class described, a body, a wheel supported shaft supporting the said body for tilting movement, yieldable caster wheels supporting the forward side of the body and yieldably resisting downward tilting thereof, members connected with the body for swinging movement with relation thereto, a rotary brush journaled between the said members, caster wheels su porting the forward ends of the said mem ers, apertured members carried by the sides of the said body, rods pivotally connected at their lower ends to the brush supporting members and having their lower portions bowed, the said rods being resilient and having their upper portions threaded and fitted through the said apertures, and a nut threaded upon each of the said rods.

8. In a machine of the class described, a scraper comprising a plurality of sections mounted for independent movement, each of said sections having a scraping edge, and a ground engaging portion constituting a runner to carry the said edge over inequalities in the surface to be cleaned.

9. In a machine of the class described, a scraper comprising a polygonal shaft. and a plurality of scraper sections mounted for swinging movement upon said shaft and having polygonal openings receiving the shaft, the said openings being of greater dimensions than the cross sectional dimensions of the shaft.

10. In a machine of the class described, a scraper including a fixed shaft, a plurality of scraper sections mounted for swinging movement upon said shaft, and coacting means upon each section and the said shaft for limiting the downward swinging movement of the section.

11. In a machine of the class described, a body, a shaft supporting the said body, ground wheels mounted for rotation upon the ends of the said shaft, gears mounted upon the said ends of the shaft between the body and the said wheels, clutches for clutching gears with the respective wheels, oscillatory members coacting with the clutches and arranged when oscillated to move the clutches into and out of positlon, resilient means extending between the sald oscillatory members tending to normally hold the clutches in one position of adjustment, a pivoted hand lever, and connections between said oscillatory members and the said hand lever at opposite sides of the pivot for the latter and mechanism driven from said gears.

In testimony whereof I ai'lix my signature.

RICHARD E. BRADSHAV. [1,. s.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratencs, Washington, I). G. 

